✨ Feature 12 with Sudeep Luthra ✨

“I find fulfillment in the appreciation and acknowledgment of HR's contribution to various business projects & transformations and fulfilling employee's aspirations. When the business delivers value to customers, somewhere in the background, HR also plays an important role” says Sudeep Luthra, Sr. HR Leader and Ex Head – HR for Orange Business India. 
 
Sudeep, who has worked in different industries as an HR leader, mentions that exposure to different industry environments, people aspirations, business dynamics, technology interventions has helped him enrich his HR experience. 
 
His advice for early career professionals is to: 
 
➡️ Be open-minded and adaptable: Embrace challenges and dive into diverse aspects of HR to develop a holistic view. Avoid limiting yourself and be open to learning new skills. Spend at least 10% of your time for self-development beyond the scope of your job role. 
 
➡️ Establish trust in human relations: Trust is crucial for positive employee relations. No matter how good your policies or presentations are, building trust is essential for organizational effectiveness. 
 
➡️ Communicate openly and transparently: Clear and transparent communication is vital. Avoid beating around the bush and be open in your communication to foster trust and understanding. 
 
➡️ Balance empathy and organizational needs: Empathize with both employees and the organization. Act as a spokesperson for employees' concerns while effectively communicating leadership expectations and concerns to the employee groups. 
 
➡️ Embrace automation while preserving the human touch: Automation is important in the modern HR landscape to provide easy access, quick response and generate information and keep records. However, it's equally important not to lose the human touch in interactions with employees. 
 
➡️ Always remember building on 5 Cs - Competence, Commitment, Collaboration, Communication & Connections. 
 
Sudeep shares that after a long day he winds down by reflecting on his recent experiences, new learnings and how he could improvise and do different things. Further, engaging with diverse individuals helps him gain new perspectives which adds to his growth. He finds relaxation in activities like going for long walks, meditating, reading books on history, politics and religion and engaging in discussions with a close circle of friends/colleagues. 

We at Athena Executive Search & Consulting (AESC) are a global consulting firm with vast experience in supporting organizations looking to onboard leadership talent across critical business functions. We commenced a series that seeks to highlight some of the most distinguished leaders in human resources. This series will bring a spotlight on their journey, learnings and perhaps answer some pertinent questions for aspiring HR leaders.